GTW

Thanks kindly for your feedback.

I did find this walkthrough here: http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/how-g...roblem-288938/

I will get the codes run, and I will post them back here to confirm if they are the same or not.

tsanzari

So, I put in new Solenoids today....it ran worse...went from a solid check engine light to a flashing and made the T/C light come on. So, I decided to put the old ones back in and it ran like it did before. Is it possible that one of the new parts are bad? Is there a process for the computer to learn the new parts? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks

Sno White

Of course it is possible to have a bad new part, actually in this case very probable by your description. Were the solenoid(s) from the dealer or some other supplier?

Try replacing just one at a time.

I am assuming you did not get codes for both being bad, but I do not know.

Edit added:
I see you are new to the forum. I found your other post where Whopper covers it all.

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...6&postcount=22

Since you are new here – it is customary not to double post.

One thing Whopper didn’t cover was the possibility that you in your heightened learning experience did something correctly the second time around and put “everything” back together correctly upon installing the old solenoids. Not trying to be a smart aleck, it is just that we cannot see what you are doing and often I know the more I work on something the better I get at it. For an example there have been people that do this particular repair and forget to reconnect the MAF sensor and then wonder what went wrong.

tsanzari

It was throwing the code for both. I actually replaced the sensors first yesterday as it was throwing that code as well. I bought the parts through Napa Auto Parts... I had noticed that someone else in the thread went through them so that that would be safe.

I replaced them one at a time...then put it back together and it went hay wire. So I put one old one back in (intake) Still bad...TC light and all. So then put the old exhaust one in and it was back to the shape I started in. So for sake of my own curiosity I decided to put the new intake one back in with the old exhaust and back to throwing the TC light but the engine light was not flashing.

Beyond that...The first time with the new ones I forgot to disconnect the battery first...cranked it up and saw it was still bad. Was like oh crap forgot the battery...so I disconnected it for about 5 minutes reconnected and the problem was still there. Do you think I should do the whole process over with the battery disconnected?

As far as better at it the second time...heck yeah. I can fly threw the process now...lol. I was hoping it was something as simple as I forgot to plug the wire back in the top...not so lucky.

Thanks

Sno White

I did not disconnect my battery at all for changing my intake solenoid.

I look at things a bit differently than some. If the engine, or any system, is not powered at the time I am working on it I don’t bother with the disconnecting of the battery. With the key out of the ignition the engine is not powered so I don’t think it matters. Disconnecting the battery to reset the computer modules could be of some help though. I would disconnect the battery for any major work on any of the modules on the CAN.

The only thing I see you haven’t done is put back the old sensors, beyond that I just do not know.

Measure the solenoids for IIRC ~10-15 Ohms is the spec. If they are just outside that then they may be good; way outside that like 2 Ohms or 100 ohms then they are definitely bad. Of course the coil inside the solenoid is only one failure mode. Just that they measure the correct resistance by no means says they are good. They could have physical problems and not electrical problems that make them bad.

Like Whopper said list the actual codes so others can take a look and maybe get a different idea. Get a complete listing of all the active codes and post them up with the numbers such as P0011, etc..

Talk to Napa and have them recheck the cross numbers to make sure the part is correct.

firemangeorge

tsanzari. Welcome to the site.

I read your other posts and haven't seen you post up the actual code numbers. That is not the way to get any accurate help from this site. The members here( and we've got some really knowledable ones) need the precise code numbers to help out.
In your case, the numbers before you did the work, and then after replacing the solenoids and sensors.

Fwiw. Reading your posts and the outcome, well, not to be harsh but sounds like a installation error. Something left unhooked, wiring not plugged in correctly and/or damaged wiring plug etc.
Also. 5 minutes of a disconnected battery isn't long enough. Give it a minimum of 20 minutes.
Would love to help you out and find a solution but until you post up those codes, all we can do is take a guess at it.

tsanzari

Thanks everyone!!

Before I started the work the codes were the p0010, 11, 13, and 14. I will have to have them re-pulled. And hey no offense to doing something wrong. I like doing things myself when I can...but I am a banker by trade. Motorcycles are a little more my thing. So no offense taken.

I think in the morning I am going to do the process over with the battery disconnected. It takes me about 20 minutes total to do the process so that should hopefully be long enough on the battery.

And no... I have not tired to put the old sensors back in. The one in the front is super easy...the one on the back of the motor...not so much. The sensors did not seem to effect the issue one way or the other. In my head I thought it idled smoother until I put it in gear. But, I may have just been hopeful it did something. Do you think it is worth yanking those back out?

So like I said...giving it a whirl tomorrow with the battery disconnected...will report my results. Hopefully with no codes because it worked. Other wise I will get the codes and get back with you all. Thanks again for all the help!!

whopper

Firemangeorge - the reason you didn't see the codes was that he posted them in a separate thread - https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/problems-service-repairs-42/changed-camshaft-sensors-now-flashing-cel-48950/ - he was getting p0010, 11, 13 & 14.

Tsanzari - a few things:
- splitting the information between two different threads just makes for massive confussion for everyone. I'll close the other thread you had started with a ref to this one

- ahhhh you bought non-GM solenoid actuators (from Napa) - me, I'd take them back, and go get genuine GM ones. I get the feeling that some of the after market ones just don't do the job. I maybe wrong......... but since they make the matter worse, that would be enough for me to return them.

- has the oil been changed recently? Dirty oil can contaminate the internals on those solenoid actuators.

- when I was having problems with the CEL lighting up and throwing the codes I was getting, even a 15 second disconnect of the battery was enough to clear the error conditions, but a longer disconnect sure can't hurt, especially if there are other issues causing the problems.

So get the codes downloaded again, and lets see what the car is saying. Best of luck.

843de

Actually tsanzari didn't start the new thread, your humble Administrator did.

With this thread growing to over 400 posts, and his initial post being yet another "tack on", I decided to split it off as his initial post featured a flashing CEL and a possible secondary underlying misfire issue.

Since that's not the case judging by subsequent posts, I'm sorry for the extra work whopper.

donbrew

SENSOR NOT = SOLENOID!!!!!!!!!! They are 2 very different bits.

"one in front and one in back" are the SENSORS. The 2 on top of the valve cover are SOLENOIDS/ACTUATORS. Or, did you replace both sets?

Parts places will sell you the wrong parts because their books use the incorrect nomenclature.

Which of us is more confused?